Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on improving the UK's standing as a global life sciences hub and the use of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing Access.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
As the accountable Secretaries of State for the Life Sciences Vision, the Government and life sciences sector’s blueprint for ensuring the UK becomes a world leading science superpower and global life sciences leader, my Rt. Hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care are regularly engaged in discussions on how we can deliver on the ambitions of the Vision for the economy and for NHS patients.
This was the subject of discussion at the most recent Life Sciences Council on the 28th of November, where the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing Access was also discussed.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to open the Government Office for Technology Transfer; and whether he will include in that Office's remit an objective of promoting closer collaboration between academia and industry to enhance the UK's translation capabilities in life sciences.
Answered by Jane Hunt
The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) will formally launch in Autumn 2022. GOTT will support central government departments and arm’s length bodies to deliver a step change in the management of the social, economic, and financial value of their knowledge assets for the benefit of the UK economy and the UK taxpayer. Sector agnostic, GOTT will serve as an advisor, leader and convener and act as a focal point for those that can enable the asset to reach its potential, including private sector investors, academia and industry.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the ambition in the Life Sciences Vision to develop a highly skilled workforce, what steps he is taking to develop (a) translational research and (b) broader life sciences research talent in the UK.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to developing Life Sciences research talent as part of its vision to make the UK the leading global hub for Life Sciences.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) directs around £85 million each year towards developing research careers, supporting around 1,600 PhD students.
Translational research is supported by MRC’s successful translational funding strategy, which seeks to progress innovative discovery science towards clinical utility.
In addition, Innovate UK supports the development of translation research skills through the Biomedical Catalyst Accelerator programme, which focusses on priority areas highlighted in the Life Sciences Vision, such as oncology and neurodegeneration.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Global Britain Investment Fund will open for investment for new medicines manufacturing; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the fund supports innovative, smaller biotechnology companies.
Answered by George Freeman
The Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) was announced on 2 March 2022. This £60 million capital grant scheme welcomes applications from SMEs with innovative proposals, including biotechnology companies.
The UK has one of the strongest life sciences industries globally. In 2020, the value of life sciences inward FDI totalled £900m, ranking second only to the US in the number of projects. The UK also performs well in R&D spend, securing £4.8bn by UK pharmaceuticals in 2019 and 18% of our total industrial R&D spend. The new £1.4bn Global Britain Investment Fund (GBIF) will build on the strengthens of this sector by providing £354 million in grant support for UK life sciences manufacturing. This will ensure internationally mobile companies invest in cutting edge, innovative manufacturing projects right here in the UK.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of the UK's regulatory framework on the number of life sciences companies that deem it necessary to conduct clinical trials outside of the UK; and whether he has plans to make exceptions under the existing framework to enable more UK-based life science companies to conduct trials within the UK.
Answered by George Freeman
There has been no change to the number of applications to the MHRA for clinical trials over the past 5 years. We are committed to developing a world-leading regulatory system for clinical trials that allows us to collaborate effectively globally and maintains and enhances the attractiveness of the UK as a site for clinical trials. The MHRA are planning to launch a public consultation shortly on a set of proposals to improve and strengthen the UK clinical trials legislation (the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 as amended), to help us make the UK the best place to research and develop safe and innovative medicines. We have the opportunity to improve our regulation to support clinical trials in the best interests of patients, in line with the ambitions of the Life Sciences Vision to make the UK the leading global centre for innovative research design and delivery, across all types and phases of trials. Through the legislative proposals outlined in the consultation, we aim to streamline clinical trials approvals, enable innovation, enhance clinical trials transparency, enable greater risk proportionality, and promote patient and public involvement in clinical trials.